This is a type of outfit you might not expect to see on me. Kind of boho/rock-ish, but I do enjoy dressing like a folk singer slash pirate from time to time. It's always been a favourite style of mine that I revisit now and then.

I just really wanted to wear the beautiful 100% cotton blouse, but it was still too cold to style it like I really wanted to. I envision the top with denim shorts and some simple sandals, nothing more. Oh how I yearn for summer! I do absolutely love how this outfit came together though. I was kind of proud at myself for making this very summery top more winter/spring appropriate. And not to toot my own horn, but I'm always surprised at how good I look wearing a hat when my hair is longer.

Is it just me, or does this outfit have a strong Russell Brand vibe going on? Who wore it better, Russell or me?

Sorry for the absence, life is hectic! I had an office party friday night and I was invited to a dinner at Supervet.be by my friends Eline and Ruud yesterday, so I've had zero time to blog. I hope you've had a lovely couple of days as well, and that you enjoy my outfit!

I picked up these leopard print slip-ons last Tuesday. At just 14,95€ they were just the sort of uber trendy piece you allow yourself to buy even though you don't need it. H&M is great at that shit. I'm sure you'll be seeing slip-ons pop up on basically every single style blog you follow over the next few months since they are so hyped right now. I actually used to own a pair of these in my teens, but since they were ever so slightly too small I ended up getting rid of them. In fact, I had these exact Misfits slip-ons so I could always get them in the right size somewhere in the future, for old time's sake.

Oldskool. Slip-ons make me feel like a total teenage rebel bad ass surfer. You know what else makes me feel like that? This awesome blue to white thermochromic T-shirt by Faze that changes colour when it comes in contact with (body) heat. It's also available in purple to pink, green to yellow and pink to blue, but I loved the blue to pink best because it reminded me of fluffy clouds in a sunny sky. I usually wear a EU36, I ordered the shirt in a size small and it fits me perfectly. They all cost 21€ which is very reasonable.

Now, it was mega cold outside when I snapped these pictures, so it was basically impossible to show the colour change to you guys, but this shot gives you a better idea:

ZUPAHCOOL

So, thermochromic garments: something you'd wear? Btw do wear a (padded) bra with these or everyone will know your boobs are hot.

Hi guys! Today I'm going to explain to you why shopping online the right way, for the right reasons, is actually literally the best thing ever. And yes, this post was sponsored by Zalando, but my opinions are my own and I'm 100% honest, like always.

So let me break this down for you.

1. We've all probably experienced how exciting it feels to receive a box of new items. Much more exciting than coming home with a bunch of shopping bags. It's like if you've ordered something a week ago, distance makes the heart grow fonder until it finally arrives, you know?

2. Additionally, I much prefer not having to waste time and get stressed out waiting for a place in the dressing rooms on my free Saturday. I'm a working woman now. And hurried shopping is sad shopping.

My slightly chaotic but delightfully cozy bedroom, including some Zalando goodies I got to try on.

3. I find it important to be able to see how colours look on me in natural light, because if a colour doesn't flatter me I end up not wearing an item. Ever. This is something you can easily do at home, but you can't exactly take the mirror in a store dressing room and plop it down where you think you have the best light, can you?

4. PROTIP: I always try on different combinations and stylings
of the new garment before deciding whether to keep it. For example,
sometimes a certain dress or top only looks right when you wear it with
the proper bra. Not a problem when you shop at home. I spotted this very affordable skirt by Even&Odd on Zalando, and while deciding whether to keep it I put together three outfits to show its versatility. Conclusion: definitely a great basic!

5. The very best reason to shop online is the broad range of options and the
ease of searching for something specific. For example, I haven't been able to find a pretty,
quality swimsuit at an acceptable price point at my usual
shopping destinations. Shopping online makes it so much easier to just search for "one piece swimsuit" on whichever webshop you're visiting, and even compare prices between different webshops before spending your cash.

When I spotted this gorgeous bandeau one piece, I was intrigued. It's a shape I had never tried before, so I threw it in my virtual shopping basket and OF COURSE, it ended up being ridiculously flattering. However, 130€ is a bit much for a swimsuit on my budget, so I ended up ordering another one which I'll do a post about soon.

CONCLUDING: yes, shopping online can be a bad idea. For example when you make a lot of impulse purchases, or when you buy abroad from places that don't have great return policies. I mean, I love shops like ASOS, but if I want to return even a small package, it easily costs at least 15€ to get it back to the UK. And that's just ridiculous, you know? Quite often, this results in keeping an item you're not even really into, just because you don't want to pay to send it back.

Luckily, more and more shops are popping up that offer free shipping both ways, which seriously reduces the risk of online shopping. I have both a Kiala point and a post office at walking distance from my doorstep, so shopping online is actually more hassle free than shopping in physical stores. Zalando has recently extended their return policy in such a way that now, you have an astonishing 100 days (rather than 30) to make up your mind about whether or not the new items will make permanent additions to your wardrobe, which is much longer than what real stores offer. Use that time and rid yourself of mis-buys FOREVER!

PS, Zalando: most women make their own money now, you can stop with the advertisements that focus on women being ashamed/chastised for their purchases by their boyfriend/husband. I am an adult, I can decide what to do with my own money! :-D you know what my boyfriend nags about? Having to take my pictures.

Lazy boyfriend.

What are your favourite things about shopping online? Tips, or pitfalls?

As you can see, these sneakers really go with everything. Out of all my Nike sneakers, I think these are the most versatile, working just as well with jeans as with a skirt. And I know I told you before but I really can't stress the comfort level of these babies enough. If I could wear only one pair of shoes for the rest of my life, these would be frontrunners in my selection.

And when in doubt, always wear a boxy top with a mini skirt or skinny jeans. Whenever I'm wearing a look that fits that description, you can bet your ass I was lazy or hurried while getting dressed that morning.

Hey babes. I'm feeling great. I've sort of completed two important (small) projects way ahead of the deadline, and I live for that shit. You know those people who thrive under pressure, doing their best work in the last hours before having to deliver? Yeah, that's not me. I love starting WAY EARLY on projects, preparing everything right away so that my job is virtually done with lots of time left to smooth out the last edges. That's me. I'm only happy when everything is in its right place, when I have a plan laid out and when everything goes according to that plan.

I can be a bit of a pain in the ass. But bitches get stuff done. And I never feel quite as good, quite as accomplished as when I've finished something to a satisfactory standard.

Btw, another work outfit for you guys. I picked up the boots in the very last days of the sales (sales were actually over already, but there were still some bargains to be had) for only 20€. I had been in love with the boots ever since they made their first appearance on the Zara website. I even tried them on, but I couldn't justify spending ANOTHER 80€ on ANOTHER pair of black ankle boots, especially since these are in faux patent leather. However, 20€? Last pair in my size? Good luck saying no to that. Also, they are very comfortable despite having a proper heel.

What stimulates you professionally? Are you a last minute racer, or do you get a kick out of preparing everything meticulously like I do?

Some seriously schizofrenic weather took me from wearing tights and wooly scarves to this maxi dress + bare legs ensemble in just two days. Not that I'm complaining, I'm taking as much sun as I can get, even if it's only there for one afternoon. And it feels so good to be able to wear my summer clothes again.

See my necklace? I've been dressing very low key and minimalist lately, and I felt like my look could use an injection of sunshine now that spring is here. I had my monthly Oasap credit lying around, so I spent it on these three colourful necklaces: number one and number two, the second one in both aqua and yellow. And I'm glad I did because I've been wearing them a lot.

Which one is your fave?

PS yeaaaay, monday /sarc. Let's stay strong together and work our asses off until the weekend! :-D

Outfit! So here's the debut of my new favourite purse, this beauty I received when attending the Colette concept store one year anniversary. Lucky me, because a crisp white purse is exactly the kind of bag I want to be carrying this spring. My usual bag-panions (lulz look at me making up words) are my Kipling city bag and my leather duffel bag, both of which have been in continuous rotation for about a year now. The Kipling bag was out for a week when my cat peed in it, but after a round in the washing machine it was good as new. This Colette bag rounds out my regular purse collection perfectly because it's totally different than my other two favourites. And it's so sophisticated! Very grown up lady.

BTW check out these adorable pics my boyfriend and me posed for at the event. I mean, I think they are adorable. And my hair was looking great, so I'm pimping the hell out of my look of the night. Also, my boyfriend's stupid face is cracking me up.

The purse almost reminds me of that gorgeous Celine bag of Paulien without being a ripoff, so yes, I'm very happy. And I'm not even a purse girl. Shoes all the way, yo. Btw, if you love shoes as much as I do, and you're ever near Belsele (Oost Vlaanderen represent!), do drop by Colette because that store has some amazing classy yet funky footwear. Brands like Sam Edelman. It's definitely the kind of store where both you and your mom would get your kicks.

What kind of bag do you carry on a daily basis? Do you change bags often? I totally don't. However, I have a fabric tote bag with all my essentials that I just switch from bag to bag when I do want to change it up. PROTIP. And another question: do you like those "what's in my bag" posts? I kind of find them super boring to read, but if you like em I could do one! Let me know.

Every time you look at outfit pictures on one of your favourite blogs, you probably have no clue how much time was spent creating that content.

Picking out a good outfit and doing hair and make up: 30 minutes

Arranging to have someone take the pictures/convince the boyfriend: 15 minutes

Finding location + changing the settings on the camera to suit current light: 15 minutes

Shooting the actual pictures: at least 10 minutes

Post production (selecting + editing): 40 minutes

Putting together the actual blog post: at least 30 minutes

End sum: 140 minutes. Two and a half hours. And that's on a good day! I know many of you also have blogs, but not all of my readers do and I thought it might be cool to give you guys a small behind the scenes peek into how the sausage is made.

A picture that didn't make the cut for obvious - weak chin and pissy face - reasons.

On a typical day, I take about 60 (on a good day) to 150 pictures (on a bad lighting/bad background day) to eventually edit down to about 6 to 10 shots I use in my final post. These 6 to 10 photos are all prettified with gimp (free photoshop alternative). The steps I regularly take to get to the image you end up seeing on my blog:

See what a difference a bit of editing makes? Especially if you're not the owner of a state of the art camera, or if you forgot to change settings before shooting, or when the lighting is especially craptastic. So if you are frustrated about the quality of your pictures and want them to be a bit crisper: learn to work with an image editor such as gimp, because it makes SUCH a huge change.

So! How did ya like them apples? Would you be interested in seeing more "behind the scenes" posts?